


Maybe We'll Find Each Other

by DP_Marvel94



Series: Phic Phight 2020 [6]
Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: And Are the worst, But neither of them know they're parent and child, But the Observant's don't know, Clockwork adopted Danny, Father-Son Relationship, Full ghost to half ghost Phantom, Gen, Ghosts think halfas are abominations, He had a bad time figuring that out, So there's a good amount of self hatred from that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:14:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23915167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DP_Marvel94/pseuds/DP_Marvel94
Summary: For Phic Phight, prompt by zoidetrap. Phantom, the adoptive son of Clockwork, doesn't remember his life but wishes he did. Jack Fenton, ghost hunter, lost his only son at a young age. When the portal activates, a newly half-human Phantom stumbles into Jack's lab, barely a painfully familiar blue-eyed, black haired form.
Relationships: Clockwork & Danny Fenton, Danny Fenton & Jack Fenton
Series: Phic Phight 2020 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1697827
Comments: 45
Kudos: 205





	Maybe We'll Find Each Other

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rayghosts](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rayghosts/gifts).



> For the Phic Phight, Prompt by zoidtrap.   
> Danny is a ghost who became half-human after stumbling through a portal to the human.
> 
> I did a bit of a different thing for this one. I wanted both Phantom and Jack's POVs so it switches between sections breaks, with versions of the same scene from both character's perspective. I've never done that before but I think it worked out well.

Phantom floated alone through the green void. He turned around slowly, taking in the various sized slabs of dirt and rock. A few purple doors floated in the distance but no other ghosts flitted between the small islands. 

The teenage ghost ran a hand through his white hair. So it wasn't a complete void, but it was boring as ever. 

"There's nothing here." He muttered. 

The ghost floated forward, kicking a floating rock. His ghostly tail reformed into legs as he touched down on an island only about as wide as he was tall. Then he pulled the map cube his guardian, Clockwork, gave him from a pocket in his black robe. With a few taps, an image projected from it, showing his location and other notable landmarks around him.

Phantom frowned. “Yeah, I’m in the right place.” Another tap and the object displayed the time too. “And he said to be here by now.”

Head turning side to side in hopes of finding anything notable, the ghost sighed. “Ya know, Clockwork could just tell me when the Observants were coming over so I could make myself scarce.” He crossed his arms, huffing in annoyance at his guardian. “He didn’t have to send me on a wild goose chase to the other side of the Realms.”

Then again, this wasn’t the first time the older ghost had sent him on a nonsensical errand so he’d be out of the lair and his guardian’s employers didn’t find out about Clockwork’s adopted child. But the time keeper would make it up to him; he always did. Maybe Phantom would finally get Clockwork to portal him to the human world to see the stars. He’d been begging for years since spotting the night sky through one of Clockwork’s viewing glasses. The sight had sparked a passion he hadn’t even known he’d had until then, lapping at a forgotten memory of a life he only remembered as flashes of colors, shapes, and emotions. 

Two adults in orange and blue ( _ love, safety, joy) _ , a smaller person also orange and blue but purple and green too ( _ love, comfort, joy), _ green grass ( _ happy, fun _ ), a silver metal toy ( _ happy, playful _ ), broken glass and flashing lights ( _ fear _ ), hard rough black and wet sticky red ( _ sadness _ )

_ Mommy? Mommy? Why are you crying? Where’s Daddy? I want Daddy. _

The ghost shook his head, feeling his chest rising and falling. Breathing. He was breathing like he did when he got upset. It was a strange habit for a ghost and one definitely left over from a life he wished he could make more sense of. He took a deliberate deep breath, calming his sudden panicked emotions. It was okay. He was okay. He wasn’t alone or in pain. He had Clockwork and his friends now. It was probably better to not think of what was before anyway. It’s not like Clockwork probably would ever let him go to the human world, even with supervision. And there was probably a reason Clockwork wouldn’t tell him anything about Earth or his past. So that was best left forgotten, though part of him still longed to know.

The young ghost shook his head,dislodging the thoughts. He glanced at the map again. Hey, he was near Sidney’s lair. Maybe he should drop by, say hi, and hangout for a bit. The fellow nerd was always happy to chat about Phantom’s studies or anything really.

The ghost floated up, preparing the leave when he paused. His brow furrowed. It was quiet and still...too quiet. No haunting wails of far away ghosts. No swirling spectral wind. The churning of ectoplasmic clouds stilled. 

Unease rose in his core. Something was wrong. This wasn’t the familiar, even comforting, time stopping power of his guardian. It was the Realm itself holding its breath, an unnatural tension in its very fabric. Phantom turned to flee but before he could act, the space around him distorted, for a split second simmering with colors unnatural to the Realm of the dead. A sudden rush of something….heavier, more tangible than ectoplasmic wind. 

And Phantom’s world exploded into bright, white pain.

* * *

Phantom came too, his check pressed into something metal and cold. His brow furrowed sleepily. Why was it cold? Was his ice core acting up again? That would be bad.

With a groan, his eyes blinked open and closed. No. No. Nope. Too bright. He curled in on himself, feeling sore. 

Tha-thump

Tha-thump

Something in his head pounded. And his chest too, like his core was very unhappy.

Tha-thump

Loud footsteps rang out in front of him and he heard creaking as someone knelt down.

“Kid, are you okay?” A deep voice spoke in front of him.

Phantom slowly opened his eyes again, coming face to face with a tall man wearing orange clothes. (orange? _ love? _ ) The boy’s brow furrowed again. Black hair, blue eyes, pinkish skin. There was something off with that. Phantom himself had odd coloring for a ghost but the one in front of him didn’t even have Phantom’s green undertone. 

“Can you understand me?” The man spoke again. 

The boy’s eyes opened farther. His voice didn’t echo either. Wait…..

The thumping in Phantom’s head increased. This man wasn’t a ghost. This was human.

Eyes widening in shock, the boy shakily tried to push himself into a sitting position but his arms collapsed. A large hand touched his shoulder. 

The human smiled kindly. “It’s alright. Now can you understand what I’m saying?”

This time, Phantom nodded. 

The man sighed in relief. “That’s good.” His brow furrowed as he handed the boy a white fabric garment with buttons. The boy looked at it questioningly and the human answered. “My extra lab coat. I don’t know what happened to your clothes.”

His clothes? Still laying down, Phantom glanced down at himself. His robe…. His robe was gone. He blushed. Oh great, he was naked in front of a human. He frowned, still looking at his arms and bare chest. Something with his body also looked off. 

Tha-thump 

He pinched his eyes closed, nose wrinkling. And the pounding was still there.

“Let me help you sit up.” The human in front of him blushed, keeping his eyes on the younger’s face. Large hands helped Phantom push himself up until he was sitting on the metal floor.

With a shaking hand, the boy grabbed the….lab coat(?)....before dropping it on his lap, startled. He stared at his hands. Not familiar pale skin with a greenish undertone and almost claw like fingernails. But instead pinkish skin with round pink nails…..Like the human.

Tha-thump

Head and chest pounding again, Phantom put a shaking hand over his chest where his core was. His hand gently pressed down.

Tha-thump

Something under his hand moved. Not vibrating like his core. But….pulsing. Tensing and relaxing. 

Tha-thump, Tha-thump, Tha-thump

Tense, relax. Tense, relax. Tense, relax

His chest was moving up and down too. Up and down. Up and down. Was...was he breathing too? When had he started breathing? He tried to stop, holding his breath for thirty seconds until his chest ached. He gasped, greedily taking in breath.

“What’s wrong?” The man stared with slightly paniced eyes.

But Phantom didn’t respond. Okay. Okay. He actually had to breathe. It hurt if he stopped. 

Tha-thump. Tha-thump. Phantom turned his mind back to his chest. At the thing….beating?. Yeah, that was a beat….something was beating in his chest in the same space as his core. His hand shook and he gently pressed again, closing his eyes. Tha-thump. Another beat. 

A heart, a heart was beating in his chest. 

For a second he wondered; was he possessing a human? He’d never done that before. But…..No. The breathing, the heartbeating, the pale skin looked different but not wrong. He clenched and unclenched his hands. This felt….right, like clothes fit perfectly for him. Warm, close, and very real. Or….like this was his body, not borrowed or controlled, stolen from someone else but HIS.

A large hand grabbed his arm. “Kiddo, what’s wrong?”

Phantom opened and closed his mouth a few times. He swallowed and finally whispered. “I’m alive.”

The man’s expression softened. “Yeah, you made it. I have no idea how a human kid made it through our portal, much less survived in the Ghost Zone. But you’re okay.”

“I’m alive.” Phantom repeated, voice filled with awe. 

The former (former!) ghost knew it was true. He didn’t know how but he’d been dead, a ghost just minutes before and now he was alive, a human.

The human half-smiled at him. “I hear you. You had me worried there. How did you end up in the Zone anyway?”

The Zone? That must be what humans call the Infinite Realms. And Phantom was a human now. He looked down to his toes, poking out from the fabric around his lap. The boy wiggled the digits.

“I’m a human.” The shaking hand over his heart (!?) moved to his hair. “I can’t believe this. I’m a human.”

The man stiffened, brows wrinkling in confusion. “You’re a human?”

A few black (not white!) hairs entered his peripheral vision. “I’m human.” His breathing increased. “Oh my god. I’m human. How am I human?”

The human’s lips turned down into a frown. “Where you...not before?”

Phantom’s eyes finally meet the man’s. “I’m…I was a ghost.”

The human boy’s new heart sank. He WAS a ghost. Had been, Formerly. 

“You were a ghost?” The man raised an eyebrow, skeptically. “But….” He eyed Phantom’s wrist. “Can I check your pulse?” The boy nodded and the adult gently pressed two fingers on the other’s wrist. “It’s there.You’re definitely alive.” He said like it was expected and self-explanatory. 

“Yeah.” Phantom replied. 

What else could he say? He’d been a ghost and now he was alive. His brow furrowed. How did that even happen? It should be impossible. Yeah, people became ghosts all the time; it’s the natural order. But going from ghost to human, being resurrected….. That shouldn’t be possible.

“I think you’re a little confused, buddy.” The man in front of him finally spoke. 

Phantom shook his head furiously. “No. No. I’m not confused.”

The man put his hands out. “It’s okay. How about this? You put on that coat and I help you upstairs. We’ll get you something to eat and drink and just talk. We’ll figure out what’s going on, okay?”

Phantom opened and closed his mouth, wanting to argue but he sighed. “Okay.”

The man nodded and then pointed at the clean white garment. “Unless you need help, I’ll turn around and you can put that on. Just say something when you’re done and I’ll help you up.”

The boy nodded and after the man turned around, he lifted the coat from his lab. He slipped the sleeves over his arms, pulling the collar around his neck. The garment swallowed him, the sleeves ending several inches past his hands. The fabric easily wrapped around his thin chest and waist, with plenty of overlap between the panels. Though it took several tries and groans of annoyance, Phantom managed to fasten the buttons. 

With a huff, he finished but remained silent, studying the tall human from the back. He seemed kind and helpful, genuinely concerned for the boy. Phantom frowned; that was probably because he thought the former ghost was and had always been a human teenager. How would he react if Phantom could convince him of the truth? And….he should probably stop calling him a human, since Phantom himself was a human now too. His frown deepened more at the thought.

Then something neon green glinted in the corner of his eye. The teenager turned, his eyes falling on the swirling green vortex.

“Are you done, kiddo?” The adult’s voice interrupted.

But the boy didn’t respond, still studying the ectoplasmic green light. Was that….?

“Say something if you’re not ready but I’m gonna turn around.” 

The adult turned around and his eyes fell on what the teenager was looking at. “That’s our portal.” He pointed. “You stumbled out of it about ten minutes ago.”

Phantom gaped, his voice full of awe. “A portal.”

An actual portal between Earth and the Infinite Realms. It was green, more swirling mass of ectoplasm than a blue circle of light….like….like the ones Clockwork could make. Clockwork...

Then he remembered. He’d been on an errand for his guardian, just floating by himself when everything went strange. The portal….it started opening around him, didn’t it? And….that’s what did this to him? Turned him from a ghost and into a human. Forcing him back into a life he didn’t remember and wasn’t sure he wanted.

The man walked a few steps forward and the boy looked up as the adult offered his hand. “Come on. We can go upstairs and I can tell you all about it. And you can tell me what you remember about how you got here.”

Cautiously, Phantom took the hand. With the adult steading him, he pulled himself to his shaking feet. His knees wobbled but as the man put an arm around his back, the teenager stayed on his feet.

He glanced back at the portal, the gate between the human world in front of him and the realm of the dead with his adopted parent and all his friends, everyone he ever remembered knowing. A boundary he probably couldn’t cross again as a human; his now mortal form won’t survive long in the Realms. He sighed. Yes, he’d wanted to remember who he’d been before he died. He even wanted to visit the human world, but just visit. That didn’t mean he wanted his life back if he lost everyone he’d come to love.

What was he going to do?

* * *

Jack Fenton should’ve known better than messing with the portal while Maddie and Jazz were away on a mother-daughter trip. But the excitement, the temptation got to him. He figured out what was wrong with the portal! Such a small mistake. They’d forgotten to press the start button inside the tunnel. So after disconnecting the power, pressing the button, and turning the power back on, the portal sparked. 

“Yes! Come on!” The man cheered.

The air buzzed with electricity and something green wavered in the back of the portal. Space seemed to shimmer, to warp in the tunnel. The green swirling grew with a roar and Jack threw his hand over his ears to block out the sound. But his eyes stayed fixed, mesmerized behind the blast shield. Air seemed to rush past his ears, into the tunnel, the real world atmosphere meeting the ectoplasm. Jack ducked down, shielding his head. He almost thought he heard a scream under the rush of wind.

Then it all just stopped. A beat of silence and Jack looked up. The portal….the portal worked. A swirling green vortex floated in the mouth of the tunnel. His heart raised with elation. They’d done it. They really had! He stared in awe taking in the brand new portal.

Then he frowned, realizing Maddie wasn’t here. This was their achievement, not just his. He glanced down at the portal’s control panel. Maybe he should deactivate it so his wife could be here for a proper start. Yeah, she deserved to see it too. The man’s hand hovered over the panel but he froze as the mist of the portal wavered. 

Something pale-skinned and person-shaped stumbled out of the portal and collapsed on the floor. Jack’s heart pounded in his chest. Was it a ghost? One already came through? Grabbing a proto-type gun, he lumbered forward. He needed to deal with this ghost now, before it leapt up and attacked.

But five feet away, Jack froze. The ghost...it...it wasn’t glowing. And….it looked like a kid. A young teenager, 13 or 14. Skinny and short. Male with black hair. And….naked.

A very human looking ghost or…..Jack’s heart just about stopped.

Or a human kid? Dread weighed heavy in his heart. It….he….wasn’t moving. Was he dead? Jack managed to stumble a step forward. Please, please don’t be dead. He didn’t know how he would deal with having the body of a dead teenager in his lab.

Jack’s eyes then fell on the young face, cheek pressed against the floor. Wait...Had the kid’s brow just moved?

Then there was a sleepy groan and Jack tensed. Eyelids fluttered open and closed, briefly showing human looking, maybe blue(?) eyes. The man sighed in relief. The kid was alive, assuming this was a human and not a disguised ghost.

He wouldn’t figure that out standing here. The man walked forward, coming to kneel beside the figure. “Kid, are you okay?”

The kid’s eyes slowly blinked open, fixing on his and Jack’s expression softened. Those eyes were completely human. Beautiful, icy blue and….somehow familiar. The man’s heart clenched.

* * *

That, the interaction- after offering his own clean lab coat and helping the kid sit up- after watching the kid stare at his hands like they were brand new- after the child claimed he used to be a ghost but was somehow brought back to life-

That led to Jack walking the kid up stairs with his arm wrapped around him, supportively. The man glanced over. The boy’s shoulder hung low, like a heavy weight fell on his shoulders. His legs shook, his steps slow and heavy. Despite the cautious steps, the boy comfortably leaned into him for support. The pair came to the first step and the kid paused, his blue eyes studying the step cautiously.

Jack smiled at him as comfortingly as he could. “Go on. I’ll make sure you don’t fall.”

Weak legs pushed the boy’s thin body up the stairs. He stuck out his tongue in concentration, as if each step took an incredible amount of effort.

Jack watched with raised brow and the pair slowly hobbled up the stairs. The normally chatty man remained silent. He desperately wanted to ask questions and get some answers. The kid was definitely confused about him being a ghost. But what he saw and experienced in the Ghost Zone, Jack could hardly imagine. His mind raced with theories. The kid really did think he had been a ghost. Why? Maybe from being in the Zone so long? He assumed he died and was a ghost. But…

Jack’s eyes trailed the boy’s figure. He was thin, but not emaciated. Not starved or injured so he couldn’t have been in the Zone long enough to forget that he was human. So…. a defense mechanism? He pretended to be a ghost to keep the real ghosts from attacking him and he’s been pretending so long he forgot. But that still left the question of food and water, the Zone didn’t have those things so even if a human could breath, they would die within a week of thirst. Unless…. Pretending to be one of them convinced the ghosts to find food and water for and take care of the human?

Jack’s brow turned up thoughtfully. It reminded him of faerie stories he loved as a kid. Stories about the fae stealing human children and leaving changelings in their place. And if those stories were based on reality and the fae were actually ghosts….? 

Finally they came to the top of the stairs. With a wobbly step, the kid passed the threshold of the kitchen. Jack led him to a chair. “Here, sit down.”

The boy did so curious blue eyes blinking up at him. And Jack stared back, just taking in the other’s lithe form. In the too big coat, he looked like a child wearing his parent’s clothes. It sent a pang of complex emotions through Jack’s heart. His heart clenched as familiarity spiked again.

Then the boy’s stomach grumbled. He looked down, lips turned down in confusion.

Jack chuckled lightly at the expression. “I figured you were hungry.” He walked towards the pantry and opened the door. “Is cereal okay?”

“Sure.” The boy answered, uncertainly.

Jack grabbed a box of sugary cereal, a favorite late night treat for him. After grabbing the bowl, he walked to the fridge. “Do you want milk in your cereal?”

The kid nodded. Jack poured the cereal into the bowl and added milk. He also poured a glass for the boy. Then he slid the two across the table to him. “ Here you go, kiddo.”

Tentatively, the boy took a bite. He seemed to hold the bite in his mouth for a moment, tasting it. His eyes lit up with surprise and then his mouth widened into a smile before he swallowed. He eagerly spooned more food into his mouth.

Jack raised a brow. “Slow down. It’s like you’ve never had cereal before.”

The boy paused, half-smiling. “I haven’t. Well...maybe I did when I was alive but I don’t remember much from then.”

Jack frowned, preparing to correct him. But the boy spoke first, pointing at a family picture on one of the kitchen’s walls. “Is that your family? And I guess we’re in your house?”

Jack nodded, looking at the 10 year old picture. “We are in my house.” He pointed at each person. “That’s my wife, Maddie. My daughter, Jazz.” He swallowed, voice falling sadly as he finally pointed at the four year old. “That’s my son. Danny.”

The boy’s wide blue fell on the man. “You sound...sad about him, your son.”

Jack’s heart fell but he tried to smile. “It’s okay. Don’t you worry about it.”

The boy’s lips turned down. “Did something happen to him?”

The man licked his lips. Before he really thought, he was speaking. “We...we lost him.”

“Lost?” The boy’s voice turned up in confusion.

Briefly studying the boy, Jack closed his eyes and swallowed. He doesn’t know why he’s telling a strange kid who just stumbled through his portal this. But….he whispered. “He died.”

The boy’s mouth rounded. “Oh.” He looked down.

“It’s alright. It’s been a long time.” Jack tried to comfort him.

But it wasn’t alright. It wasn't. Jack’s heart flopped as the boy frowned, his blue eyes glancing up at him again. And he realized why this boy made his heart clench. Black hair, blue eyes, small frame. He...he looked like Danny would if his little boy was still here.

Jack shook his head. No. This was someone else’s son, a child that was stolen or lost from another family. All the more reason to find out who he is.

“What’s your name?” A young voice in front of him spoke, shaking slightly.

Jack blinked, startled. “What?”

The kid shrugged, trying to look casual. “You said everyone else’s name, but not yours.”

He hadn’t offered his name? The man stuck his hand forward. “Jack Fenton. Inventor, Ghost Hunter.”

The boy stayed still, studying the hand like he didn’t know what to make of it. He wrapped thin arms around his stomach. “Ghost hunter?”

Jack frowned at the fear in the tone. “Yes?” 

The boy seemed to recoil more, making him look even smaller and Jack’s heart clenched. He understood. The man sat down beside the boy, making himself less lumbering and hopefully less intimidating. 

“I’m not going to hurt you, kiddo. You’re a human.” The man calmly explained.

The boy posture relaxed, his arms moving to his sides. “Only for the last fifteen minutes.” He grumbled.

Jack didn’t acknowledge. Instead he asked. “What’s your name?”

The boy looked up, startled. He bit his lip. “It’s uhh Phantom.”

“Phantom?” Jack frowned. That was more evidence for the changeling idea; if the ghosts were basically keeping him as a servant...or pet, calling him something demeaning like another word for ghost would make sense. “Do you remember your real name?”

The kid...Phantom...tilted his head. “Real name?”

“The name you had when the ghosts took you.” Jack explained.

“The ghosts...took me?” The kid’s voice rose skeptically. “No ghosts took me.”

The man sighed. “How do you think you ended up in the Zone?”

Phantom’s jaw dropped, holding up one finger. “First, it’s called the Infinite Realms. The Ghost Zone is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. And second,” He held up a second finger. “I died! How do you think people normally end up in the Realms?” 

As the boy’s voice rose, green light seemed to swim in his eyes. Jack frowned. What was that? A trick of the light? Ecto Contamination from years in the Zone? 

He shook his head, dislodging the thought. “I get it kiddo. It’s confusing. But ghost’s don’t just come back to life.”

The kid glared. “I know! But I did!”

Jack furrowed his brow. “I know you don’t remember. But maybe you were kidnapped by ghosts as a little kid or you accidently came through a natural portal. But you couldn’t have been a ghost.”

“But I was!” Phantom frowned and the swirling green light in his eyes returned. 

Jack tensed. That light, it was definitely real. Was the kid even aware it was happening? 

“Phantom?” Saying the boy’s ‘name’ for the first time, Jack put out his hands, placatingly.

“Don’t try to tell me I don’t know what happened to me!” He shouted. His eyes lit up green as his body turned translucent and fell through the chair into the floor.

* * *

The man, he really was….nice. Really nice and gentle for someone so big and potential intimidating. Except……Something tickled at the back of his mind (orange  _ safe) _ as he leaned into the man walking up the stairs. Phantom wasn’t scared. He felt...well...not safe. But not in danger. 

He took the food offer and happily ate it, the taste pleasantly buzzing on his tongue and the man chuckled at him. The sound sent a pang through Phantom’s new heart- familiarity,  _ fun, joy. _

Another pang as he asked about the man’s family and his son. Something about the picture….and the little boy made his heart clench. 

“He died.” The man whispered. 

He sounded so sad, even though it happened a long time ago. Phantom frowned, glancing up at the sad father. His own mind went to his own past. He’d died at some point, he knew. 

_ Mommy? Mommy? Why are you crying? Where’s Daddy? I want Daddy. _

He tried not to shiver. He’d had a Mom and Dad, hadn’t he? He manifested in the Realms crying for them, though he couldn’t remember their faces. And he’d been young, like Jack’s son. He’d started as a small, weak ghost very much in need of an adult ghost to take care of him (He still needed his guardian, even if in different ways now). So he’d been a small, young human before he’d died. 

Did his parents’ hearts still break, thinking of him after all this time?

Phantom shook his head, dislodging that thought. He tried to keep his voice steady. “What’s your name?”

“Jack Fenton. Inventor. Ghost Hunter.” The man offered.

Phantom paled, stomach churning with fear. He didn’t know exactly what a ghost hunter was but it sounded dangerous, reminding him of Skulker. The teen had seen the ferocity with which the hunter ghost pursued his prey without mercy. Did this man do that same but to all ghosts indiscriminately?

Jack obviously saw Phantom’s fearful reaction and attempted to calm those fears. The former ghost relaxed, believing the adult wouldn’t hurt him. At least not while the man thought he was completely human and had never been anything but. 

And Jack remained in fact persistently and annoyingly convinced. He didn’t believe Phantom was in fact the former ghost's name. He thought he was kidnapped or accidentally wandered into the Realms through a portal.

“No ghosts took me.” The boy argued. And it was true; if anything he’d been saved when Clockwork found him wandering around the Abandoned Lands and took him in.

Jack sighed, raising an eyebrow. “How do you think you ended up in the Zone?”

The tone was kind and patient, not annoyed and belittling. Phantom pricked anyway. How did he think he ended up in the realms? Come on! “First, it’s called the Infinite Realms. The Ghost Zone is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. And second,” He gritted his teeth. “I died! How do you think people normally end up in the Realms?” 

As the boy spat out the words, something swirled in his chest but he barely registered it, focused on glaring at the man. Jack was staring at him with a confused look. What exactly was the human not getting?

Before Phantom could really question, Jack shook his head.“I get it kiddo. It’s confusing. But ghost’s don’t just come back to life.”

“I know!” He glared. He did. Ghosts didn’t just come back from the dead. But… “But I did!”

Jack furrowed his brow. “I know you don’t remember. But maybe you were kidnapped by ghosts as a little kid or you accidently came through a natural portal. But you couldn’t have been a ghost.”

Phantom frowned, the cold churning near his heart returning. “But I was!”

Across from him, Jack tensed. But Phantom didn’t notice, too annoyed. Why wouldn’t this human just listen? How was he supposed to figure this out if the only person who could help him wouldn’t even try to believe him?!

“Phantom?” The boy barely registered when the adult said his name for the first time and put out his hands, placatingly.

Phantom shouted. “Don’t try to tell me I don’t know what happened to me!” The cold swirl in the same place as his heart surged. His eyes burned as his body turned translucent. With a yelp, he fell through the chair onto the floor.

Phantom’s heart hammered in his chest, his breath wheezing as he stared at his instantial legs before they returned to solidified. He didn’t have time to react.

“You’re...you’re a ghost.” Jack stuttered, staring at him in shock.

Phantom’s previous shock morphed into anger. “That’s what I’ve been telling you!”

“But..but you have a heartbeat. I felt it! You’re warm. You just ate!” The human’s eyes widened.

“I know that!” The boy growled. 

He still felt his heart, the blood rushed through his veins. But the swirling in his chest remained. The cold swelled again and his arm flickered invisible. Both Jack and Phantom stared at the limb before it returned to visibility.

“It happened again!” Jack exclaimed, voice too booming. “You’re a ghost. A real actual ghost! I’ve never seen one before.”

“You’re a ghost hunter!” Phantom’s brow furrowed in exacerbated confusion, tampering the panic from his re-manifesting abilities.

The man shrugged exaggeratedly. “You ghosts aren’t really common here! That’s why we made the portal! To study ghosts and the Zone!”

Phantom momentarily shivered at the thought of being ‘studied.” His whole body flickered invisible again.

“How are you doing?!” Jack asked, eyes bright. Then his face fell, becoming more serious. “Are you possessing the kid?”

“Gah! This is my body! Why the hell would I pretend to just be a human kid and willy-nilly show you my powers?!” Phantom snapped.

The anger in the adult’s eyes disappeared as his mouth rounded into a oh. “So you were telling the truth.”

“Of course! Your freakin’ portal brought me back to life.” Phantom’s eyes flash green with the energy of his core.

His core… His hand went to rest on his chest again. He could feel it vibrating in his chest in rhythm with his heart. His heart. His heart and core. He had both.

Meanwhile Jack stared at the boy, his hand running through his hair as he excitedly spoke. “Sufferin’ spooks. Our portal…. You….You actually were a ghost. What was it like, being a ghost? What’s the Zone like?”

Phantom ignored the questions, panic growing in his mind. He had a heart and a core. A human body and ghost powers. He...he was….still as ghost but also...

“I beat it’s really big and spooky! What kind of powers do you have?! How do they work?” Jack grinned.

He was a ghost and a human. Both living and dead. He...he was….a freak. An abomination.

“How long have you been a ghost? Do you remember your life? How you died?” 

Why wouldn’t the human stop talking? Couldn’t he see he was freaking out?

“Will you stop? I don’t remember!” Phantom snapped.

Jack apparently didn’t register the first part. “That makes sense. Most stories say ghosts don’t remember anything from before they died. ”

“Please stop.” Phantom closed his eyes, gritting his teeth.

“But kiddo, I’m just curious. I mean…..you were dead. But…. you’re alive again.” Jack’s face softened, ever so slightly.

“I said shut up!” A hint of ghostly echo entered his voice as the kid stood up.

Jack’s mouth snapped shut. “I just want to know what’s going on.” He muttered.

“What’s going on? You want to know?” Phantom sneered. “You did this to me. You’re goddamned portal turning me into some half dead, half alive thing! I’m...I’m…”

His human heart pounded, clenching painfully as he remembered. There was another like...like him in Realms, not a ghost, not human. But also somehow both. The other ghosts sneered at it, calling it freak, monster, abomination. It even had its own slur, halfa.

Phantom felt hot tears collecting in his eyes as Jack stared at him in shock. “I’m not a ghost or a human anymore. Just some...some freak that doesn’t belong here or in the Realms!”

“But kiddo… you have your life back.” Jack’s eyes widened sadly and he held out his arms. 

“No!” A tear finally fell and Phantom felt his core flare again, his body rippling with invisibility and intangibility. “My life back!? It would have been better if that portal ripped me apart!”

It was true. The ghosts, they hated the halfa. Especially the Observants. They’d been looking for a way to get rid of it for years, unable to get Clockwork to interfere directly. Phantom paled. Clockwork would already get in trouble if the Observants found out about the older ghost adopting him. But now, being parent to an abomination. They’d destroy Phantom and punish his guardian for millenia.

In his thoughts, the boy failed to notice Jack coming to stand in front of him. “Phantom, we’ll figure this out. I’ll...I’ll help you.”

The energy of Phantom’s core swells again as the boy jumped back startled. He doubled over, the surge turning painful.

“Phantom!” Jack shouted, eyes wide with concern.

“No! No!” The energy swelled again and Phantom cried out painfully. “What’s happening?”

“I don’t know! What can I do?” The man asked panickedly.

His core pulsed, now visible light swirling under his skin. “No! No! No!” 

Gaping, Phantom turned around as if he could stop the human from seeing. If the boy had an inkling of what came next…..he didn’t even want to be seen. He took several hurried steps towards a room with plush seating. But his eyes fell to a mirror before he made it far. Phantom met his own eyes, blue he absently noted like Jacks’. Other than that and the hair, his face still looked mostly the same.

Renewed pain distracted Phantom from the reflection. His ectoenergy swelled again and white light burst through his skin. 

Shit.

It spread, banishing the warmth and weight and the pounding of his heart. And replacing it with familiar ghostly chill and weightlessness. The light passed his head, leaving his more familiar green eyed, white haired face. He looked like himself again but…..

His aura flared; a tiny flicker of gravity and warmth remained lodged in his chest. He looked like a ghost but …..

“I’m an abomination!” The now floating halfa cried, punching the mirror.

It shattered and Phantom fled down the stairs and disappeared back through the portal.

* * *

Their portal, Jack and Maddie’s portal had resurrected a ghost. They had brought a ghost back to life….errr at least partially.

He stood in awe, gaping as the seemingly human boy displayed clearly ghostly powers. This couldn’t be real, right? But it was! The scientist and ghost enthusiast wanted to shout for joy. A real ghost! All the questions he could ask and the discovery! A human body but ghostly powers. It shouldn’t be possible.

But the excitement got the better of the scientist

“I said shut up!” Phantom yelled at him, a hint of ghostly echo in his voice.

Jack’s mouth snapped shut. “I just want to know what’s going on.” He muttered, tail between his legs. He’d messed up; he needed to be more compassionate and understanding. There would be time for discoveries later but now he was facing an angry child with ghost powers.

“What’s going? You want to know?” Phantom sneered. “You did this to me. You’re goddamned portal turning me into some half dead, half alive thing! I’m...I’m…”

Jack’s heart broke as he listened. And he tried to comfort but it failed. He never was good at finding the right thing to say.

“It would have been better if that portal ripped me apart!” Phantom cried.

Jack wanted to cry too at the pain in that young face. Yes, the pain. This reaction wasn’t just anger. It was pain, terror, despair. This wasn’t an angry ghost but a hurting child (Was that any different than what he’d thought just minutes ago?)

“Phantom, we’ll figure this out. I’ll...I’ll help you.” He reached forward promisingly. 

But the boy jumped back, face scrunching up in pain. And Jack panicked. What was happening?

His fear just grew as the boy’s blue eyes (like Jack’s own) lit up with pain. What could he do?! What could he do?!

Ghostly light swirled under the boy’s skin and Jack froze in terror. What was happening?! Was Phantom dying again? The ghostly essence inside trying to destroy the new human body? He remained frozen, a coward as Phantom ran away from him.

‘Come one Jack! Move!’ His mind cried but he couldn’t act, even when the white light formed into a ring around Phantom’s waist and changed him. The white lab coat Jack had given him changed into a black robe. The now white haired figure floated a inch above the floor.

“I’m an abomination!” He cried.

Jack still couldn’t move as Phantom broke the mirror and fled past him, into the basement.

Now, five minutes later, Jack remained frozen in the kitchen, staring between the bowl of cereal and the broken mirror. That had happened. That had really happened. His portal had brought a ghost back to life….or half life. He’d let the boy lean on him to get up the stairs, feed him, talk to him. The boy, the kid, the child had been real. He had been a ghost, he was a ghost, yes. But he’d been human. Phantom had changed from a ghost to a human and back to a ghost. But….there was no body in his living room. No blood, nothing to suggest he died again.

So was Phantom still human? 

That thought suddenly ripped Jack into action. He’d let the kid leave. But maybe, just maybe he was still in the lab.

Jack pounded down the stairs, hoping and praying at anything and anyone who would listen. But his heart fell. No one was down here. Nothing, no trace down here. But Phantom had been here, obviously. And Jack knew, he knew, the kid fled through the portal. 

Suddenly feeling impossibly tired, Jack sat down heavily on the steps. Why? Why? Why would Phantom just leave if he thought he didn’t belong in the Zone (Realms?) anymore? Probably because that was the only place, the only existence he remembered. But Jack wished more than anything Phantom was still here.

The reality, the realizations hit Jack like a tidal wave. Their portal had done this to Phantom. It had changed him, ripping him from an existence he knew and turning him into something he didn’t want. Jack didn’t understand why Phantom reacted as he did, like gaining a living body but keeping his powers was the worst thing that could happen to him. Like it was much worse than just being turned into a human. But the kid acted like he knew what had happened to him and for some reason thought being as he now was, meant he was an abomination. But whatever the outside context was their portal had changed Phantom, hurting and terrifying a child.

Phantom’s scared human face flashed in his mind. A young teenager’s face with blue eyes and black hair. So, so familiar. Jack leaned over, feeling his heart breaking. He could hardly bear to think about it, the thought quiet and insidious. If he indulged it, it would grow and overtake him. But….But the thought hissed in the back of his mind- Black hair, blue eye, lithe build, narrow nose, sprinkle of freckles. Phantom looked like his Danny if his boy was still alive. 

_ And maybe he was. _ The hideous, impossible but so, so tempting thought hissed. Jack physically cried, covering his mouth. It almost certainly wasn’t true. Even among the living there are millions of men and boys with those features and how many more among the dead? And even if...if….Ghosts don’t age, do they?

But what did Jack really know about ghosts? Never meet one before today. He’d only read stories. Yes, a lifetime of research but he found the most impossible thing today. Or really it found him, stumbling through his portal.

And...and. A tear actually leaked from the man’s eye. The insidious thought whispered.  _ If their portal was going to call through, bring back, resurrect any ghost. If there was any such thing as fate,or mercy. If a higher power looked down on him and could be kind. Who else would the portal bring to him but his Danny? _

But just because this was what he wanted, hoped and longer for, that didn’t mean it was real, the more logical part of him argued. Danny almost certainly didn’t become a ghost anyway and there must be billions of ghosts in the Zone. But deeper, his heart, his soul whispered what if? What if?

So Jack Fenton cried. Because it didn’t matter. The impossible boy that stumbled through the portal, Phantom, was never coming back. He’d never see him again and always wonder what happened to him. Or he’d wonder if this had been a dream or a nightmare. For the rest of his life, he’ll wonder and when he’d dream of his little boy, still alive, he’d have Phantom’s human face.

Later he’d have to figure out whether or not to let Maddie. Debate if he should close the portal and stay silent, prevent her this pain. Or tell her, even his deepest darkness hopes.

But right then, all the father could do was sit on the steps and stare at the portal, trying...and failing not to cry.

* * *

Once he fled through the portal, Phantom flew at his top speed. If he could just get to Clockwork….if he could just…..Clockwork, his guardian, could fix everything.

The newly minted half ghost stopped, practically collapsing on a small, bare island after not even ten minutes. His chest heaved, greedily trying to take in the thin air. Dang it! Why was he still breathing? He was a ghost! Phantom forced himself to stop the intake of air but his chest burned after a minute. He gulped in another breath. Okay, apparently breathing’s still required, even his real form.

With shaking arms, the ghost pushed himself into a sitting position. And why did he feel so weak?! He should be able to fly for hours at that speed. But now he felt as weak as a little kid. Like when he’d just died and could barely fly for more than ten minutes. 

Phantom growled.It was fine. He was fine, just freaked out because he got turned into a freaking halfa. His stamina would recover. He just needed to get up and keep heading back to Clockwork’s lair.

The ghost floated upright. His body shook as Phantom forced himself forward. He could make it; he could make it. He just needed to push himself a little harder. Soon Phantom’s breath started heaving again. He could see his aura flickering weakly, his core straining. He felt too warm.

Five minutes later, the ghost boy crashed again, this time dropping painfully like a rock. He splayed onto another bare island, knocking up a cloud of purplish-brown dust. He started coughing and pushed up with his hands, intending to get up and move away from the dust. But the boy hissed in pain as his bare palms pushed into the rock. He collapsed back into his stomach, still hacking. Shakily, Phantom tried again, instead pushing with his forearms. In that position, the ghost closed his eyes and covered his mouth with this sleeve while slowly crawling away. 

Some of the dust stopped slinging his skin. But Phantom bit his lip. His palms stung. Cautiously, he opened his eyes and frowned at his hands. He’d skinned his palms crashing into the rock, but likely nothing else felt hurt. He furrowed his brows. Although…..something was wrong. 

Slowly, Phantom moved so he was sitting on his behind, still staring at his hands. His injured hands were bleeding ectoplasm; that was expected but the color was wrong. It wasn’t the normal vivid, bright green but was darker, mutted. It was an almost brownish-green, like….like...It was mixed with red. Red like human blood. Because he was half human now.

Hissing in pain, Phantom balled his fists. It was wrong. Everything was wrong. Even his ectoplasm was wrong. He was a freak. A frustrated tear fell from his eye but the ghost whipped it away. He couldn’t do this right; he couldn’t. He was in the middle of nowhere and still hours from his guardian’s lair. He needed to leave.

Suddenly something rustled behind him. “What do we have here?” A slimy voice said.

Phantom whipped around, eyes falling on two ghosts. A blue skinned young man with ripped clothes and crooked teeth and a red and blue striped tiger with a snapping snake for a tail. Quickly, the boy stood up, putting his hands in front of him. “I...I was just passing through. So...I’ll go.” He pointed behind him.

“Why the hurry?” The ghostly man grinned

The tiger tilted its head, sniffing. Then it looked at the man. “It smells…. wrong, Pete.” The big cat bared its fangs. “Like heat and blood.”

Phantom swallowed. “Now there’s nothing…”

The man, Pete, flew forward and stopped ten feet from the teenager. His eyes narrowed, looking at Phantom’s hands. “There’s something wrong with your ‘plasm, kid.”

The sneer in the last word made the teen’s skin crawl. “There’s not…”

But before he could argue, an ectoblast shot at him. Phantom fell onto his back, yelping in pain. Before he could react, the tiger leaped on him, pinning him to the ground. 

“So is this the famous halfa?” The cat purred maliciously.

“No.” Phantom pushed against the paws holding his down, but the tiger just dug its claws into the boy’s shoulders. The kid bit back a pained yell.

Pete slowly walked to be beside him. “Nah. That vampire creepy at least has the decency to look like a ghost. But…” He bent down, putting a clawed finger under Phantom’s chin. “It’s the same kind of freak.”

“I’m...I’m not a freak.” The boy tried to sound confident but his voice shook as he quickly turned his head away. The man’s claw cut his check, drawing ectoplasm.

Pete’s nose wrinkled in disgust as he jumped away. “It got its dirty ‘plasm on me.”

“And I don’t?!” The cat hissed, turning its head towards the other ghost.

In the distraction, Phantom swiftly swung his legs and kicked the cat’s stomach, knocking it off of him. The tiger yelped in surprise, knocking into the other ghosts. Before his attackers could react, Phantom was on his feet and running.

He got three steps before teeth dug into his leg. Phantom cried out in pain but stayed standing. Then a blast knocked him from the side. The boy hit a boulder with a thud, bruising his back. His knees bucket but before he fell, a clawed hand wrapped around his neck.

“That was real clever, little freak.” The ghostly man lifted him up before slamming Phantom back into the boulder.

“Stop!” Phantom choked out.

“Oh. You can’t breath. I guess abominations like you have to.” The hands around the boy’s throat tightened.

Spots formed in Phantom vision as the cat appeared beside the other ghost. “I wonder how much someone would pay for him. Skulker wouldd love to skin something this rare.”

Phantom squirmed, trying to kick but his legs just dangled uselessly. 

Pete grinned. “Or? You know who hates halfas. The Observants. I bet they’d pay an arm and a leg!”

Observants! Phantom’s eyes popped. Oh god. He’d be destroyed if they got claws on him. He needed Clockwork! “Clockwork! Clockwork!” The cry barely passed his lips.

Pete laughed, an ugly sound. “Are you crying for those eyeball’s little pet to save you?”

“Yes.” A deep voice rang out behind him and Phantom’s core leapt for joy.

Dropping the halfa, his attacker turned around. In the middle of the bare rock floated a blue skinned ghost in a purple cloak and a clock face hanging in his chest. The ancient ghost’s red eyes bore into the two attacks. “Useless you wish to spend eternity in the Timeless Vault, reliving your worst memories, you will leave and never speak of this.”

With a brief look at each other, the tiger and other ghost fled, quickly disappearing. Still on the ground, Phantom remained frozen staring at his mentor. “Clockwork?” His voice rose in hope.

Clockwork’s expression softened. “Yes my child.”

The adult ghost floated forward, lowering himself to the ground. Phantom practically leapt into his arms. “Clockwork! I...I thought...they...they were going to destroy me. And..and the Observants were going to find out. It...the portal turned me into...this and I’m a monster.”

Phantom’s voice broke but Clockwork rubbed his back. “You are not a monster.”

“But….but I’m an abomination.” The adrenaline of the attack falling, Phantom finally cried.

Clockwork pulled away and the younger ghost started shaking. Was...was his guardian going to push him away? “Please, please Clockwork. I...I don’t want to be a halfa. Please,The Observants….they’re going to find out. They’ll destroy me. And….and they’ll punish you. Oh, god they’re going to punish you because of me.”

Clockwork gently touched Phantom’s face. “They will not touch you.”

“But…” The boy’s lip wobbled. Then his eyes widened. “Can...can you turn me back? Reverse time so this doesn’t happen?”

The older ghost’s soft expression turned carefully neutral. “I cannot.”

“But.. you’re the master of time. Please I don’t want to be this. You can help me.” Phantom begged.

The older ghost’s expression fell ever so slightly. “I could...But I will not.”

The boy’s jaw dropped. “You...you won’t help me.” Tears welled as his breath quickened. Clockwork…..Clockwork….his guardian wouldn’t help him. He wouldn’t help. Did….did he not love him anymore, because...because...“Please. I didn’t mean for this to happen. I don’t want to be an abomination!”

The adult’s hand gently gripped his wrist. “You are not an abomination.” His voice, though severe, was kind.

“But the Observants…”

“Are wrong.” Clockwork frowned. “You are not a monster. You are not unnatural. Everything is as it should be.”

Phantom’s tears slowed at his mentor’s familiar, comforting platitude. “Okay, okay.” He forced himself to take a slow breath. “But...what if the Observants find out?”

“I will deal with them. They will not harm you.”

“Okay.” Despite his still very present fears, Phantom trusted the adult. If he promised to protect him, the older ghost would. “So can we go home now?”

Clockwork’s frown deepened, his red eyes shining with sadness. He studied the younger ghost for several moments and Phantom’s core dropped. “No, little Phantom.”

“No?” The boy’s lip trembled.

Clockwork floated a step away. “You must return to the human world.”

“The human world?” Phantom paled.

The older ghost nodded. “Yes. Return to the portal, to the house and the man you meet earlier.”

“But...but...I don’t know anything about humans or Earth or…”

Clockwork put his hands on Phantom’s. “You will be safe, little one. The man and his family will help you.” There was a pause and the adult swallowed. “And the answers you are looking for, about who you were and where you came from, they lie on the other side of that portal.”

Blinking at the older ghost, Phantom frowned. The answers? What was he talking about? His mind swam with other worries. “But...what about you?”

Clockwork squeezed his hands. “I will be fine. And I will always be watching.”

“But…” The boy argued.

“Hush now. You will see me again in time. And all will be well.” The older ghost comforted. He gently placed a hand on the boy’s head and Phantom felt his core flare, the pain for his wounds disappear. “Just enough energy for you to get back to the portal.”

“I don’t want to go back!” Phantom begged.

Clockwork floated to his feet. “Little one, you must.” He started floating away.

“I want to stay with you!” Phantom leapt to his feet and lunged towards the older ghost, wanting to cling to him, like he had as a young child. Like he could convince Clockwork to take him back to their lair.

“Time out.” The older ghost calmly commanded.

Phantom froze in place, the Zone slowing around him. But his eyes remained opened and alert.

The older ghost studied him with a sad, compassionate look while the teenager mentally yelled at him.  _ Let me go! Clockwork! _

The adult planted a tender kiss on his forehead. “Until we meet again, my little Phantom.”

_ No! Clockwork!  _ Phantom mentally yelled. With one last loving smile, Clockwork disappeared and time resumed.

The teen stumbled forward, his breathing suddenly loud. “Clockwork! Please!” His heartbeat quickened in panic. When had that restarted? “Please! Don’t leave me! Clockwork!”

A sob wanted to break from his throat but he forced it down. “Clockwork! Please.” He croaked. “I just want to go home! Please!”

Phantom cried and screamed into the swirling green void. Why?! Why would his guardian let this happen to him? Why wouldn’t he help me? “Please I don’t want to be a monster!”

Did Clockwork not love him enough to stay? “Please I didn’t mean...Please!” 

He broke down in sobs, the words choking him until he felt his core flicker, the energy his mentor lent him draining. With a jolt, the warmth in him tried to swell to the surface. Phantom cried out in panic and fled, his survival instincts over taking his turbulent emotions; turning human in the Realms would mean death.

Vision blurred with tears, Phantom barely paid attention to where he was going but somehow he made it. The portal called him and he sighed in relief as he flew through it. He collapsed on the floor and gave up his ghost form. 

The sobbing increased as he became heavy and warm. His heart pounded in his ears. He felt so small and so exposed on the floor there. Like when he first became a ghost and had collapsed on an abandoned island after exhausting himself crying for parents he couldn’t remember. That’s where Clockwork had found him. Clockwork….. His guardian, who was supposed to protect him, had left him. He left him alone.

Heavy footsteps ran towards him. “Phantom!” A relieved voice cried.

Someone was happy to see him. Was it Clockwork? Was he here to take him home? Someone knelt in front of him. “Oh kiddo, what happened?”

Phantom looked up. The human in orange, his red-rimmed blue eyes staring at him in worry. His name was….Jack? 

Jack hesitated for a moment before wiping a tear from Phantom’s face with his thumb. The tears just increased as Phantom shakily tried to push himself up. But his arms collapsed. He felt so weak. It hurt. Everything, everything hurt. And he was confused and devastated. What was he supposed to do? He just wanted to be held.

Putting a weak hand forward, Phantom gripped the fabric on Jack’s knee. “Please. I don’t know what to do.”

Jack’s eyes softened and reached forward, seeming to understand. Gently he wrapped arms around Phantom and pulled the boy to his chest. “Shush, It’ll be okay.”

Phantom clung to his clothes, like he had to Clockwork’s robes when he was a young ghost. “He...he left me.” The boy hiccuped.

Jack pulled him closer, rubbing his back. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

“I’m a monster. He didn’t want me.” Phantom cried, his heart breaking. A tiny part of him screamed that wasn’t true. But why would Clockwork leave him?!

The arms rubbing his back froze. Phantom felt tears dripping on him from above. “How...how could someone…” Jack shook, his hand reaching to ruffling Phantom’s hair. “I want you.”

The words were so quiet, the halfa was sure he imagined them. No one could want him. No one. He was a monster that didn’t belong in either world. An abomination. Who could love a thing like him?

But Jack didn’t let go. He whispered comforting words Phantom couldn’t quite catch as the boy cried. As the tears slowed, the adult carried him upstairs and laid him on the couch. He gently washed and bandaged his injuries.

Phantom stayed silent as Jack held his hand. “I promise, I’m not going to let anything happen to you again.”

The boy nodded. He didn’t quite know why but he believed him. Drifting off, he studied Jack’s face. Clockwork (The word still hurt his heart and he still loved the ghost so much. Hopefully the promise that he would see him later was true) Clockwork had said Jack would help him and that had been true. Maybe Jack was the adult that he needed right now, a human adult to take care of a now half human teenager. And Clockwork had said that the answers Phantom was looking for were here. And he had always wondered about the human world and who he had been before he died. Phantom squeezed the hand he was holding. Maybe Jack would help him find those answers, and maybe they were closer than he thought.

* * *

Jack sat on the steps. His tears had just about dried when the mist of the portal wavered. He tensed, preparing to possibly fight what came through.

Then a white haired ghost in a black robe flew through and collapsed on the lab floor. With a sob, the ring of light formed around his waist and the ghost became a black haired human boy. The sobbing increased and Jack’s heart clenched. He could hardly believe it. He...he came back. Phantom...( _ Danny? _ )....had come back. A trickle of hopefully joy entered Jack’s heart. Phantom had come back.

With another sob, Jack’s mind caught up. There was a hurting child, weeping in his lab. He ran forward. 

“Phantom!” He called, his heart swelling with an odd mix of relief, joy, and concern.

He paused for a second, increasingly alarmed. The boy looked awful. A scratch on his face. Bruises. Were those claw marks? A bite on his ankle?! At least they weren’t bleeding that much.

Jack knelt beside him. “Oh kiddo, what happened?”

Phantom looked up, those familiar blue eyes studying him, first with confusion and then recognition. The father’s heart broke. He gently wiped a tear from his face. The kid looked so heartbroken, so devastated. What happened to him in the Zone?

The tears just increased as Phantom shakily tried to push himself up. But his arms collapsed. Jack wanted to reach out so badly, to sweep the boy up in a hug but would he want it after being hurt so badly?

Then the ghost boy surprised Jack by gripping the fabric on his knee with a weak hand. “Please. I don’t know what to do.”

At the plea, Jack’s eyes softened. He understood the plea to be comforted, to be held. He reached forward, gently wrapping arms around Phantom and pulling the boy to his chest. “Shush, It’ll be okay.”

Phantom clung to his clothes, like a child clinging to his father. And Jack’s heart clenched. “He...he left me.” The boy hiccuped.

Pulling him closer and rubbing his back, Jack apologized. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” He didn’t know who hurt him, who left him. But none of this would have happened was it not for Jack.

Another cry broke Jack from his thoughts. “I’m a monster. He didn’t want me.”

Jack froze and stopped rubbing his back. The man couldn’t help the new tears that formed. This kid wasn’t a monster. “How...how could someone…” How could someone not want him because of what happened? But maybe ghosts could be cruel, clearly someone or something injured him. And someone Phantom trusted made the young ghost think he wasn’t wanted. Jack shook, his hand reaching to ruffling Phantom’s hair. 

“I want you.” Jack breathed, and he knew it was true.

He whispered comforting words as the boy cried. Eventually the tears slowed and Jack carefully carried his upstairs. He laid the boy on the couch and gathered supplies to wash and bandage his injuries.

Jack held his hand, while washing the scratches on his shoulders. “I promise, I’m not going to let anything happen to you again.”

Jack meant it, with his whole heart. His mind was made up. Jack Fenton may be a ghost hunter but he was and had always been a father first. And he could not and would not reject a hurt child. Though part of his soul sang, tempted with the possibility of his dead son returning to life, his logic argued that it almost certainly wasn’t true. This wasn’t his Danny but another’s son. But his heart still clenched, telling him to listen. But no matter the truth, whoever or whatever this boy was, his Danny or a near stranger who happened to look alike, Jack’s heart said that Phantom was his. 

Blinking sleepily, the boy nodded. His brows furrowed, clearly studying Jack’s face and the man wondered what he was thinking. Phantom squeezed Jack’s hand and the father (his father?) smiled down at him.   
  


**Author's Note:**

> There you go. Originally I wanted this to be 4,000 words or so but it just kept getting longer and longer. And in all honesty, I would love to do a multi-chapter version that's 50K plus. With Maddie and Jazz returning and meeting Phantom, the half ghost slowly remembering who he is, Jack noticing the resemblance much more slowly until he eventually tells Maddie who refuses to get her hopes up, and Phantom (Danny) figuring out the truth but being scared to say anything because why would the Fentons want him as a son. It would end with him telling Jazz and eventually getting the courage to tell their parents.  
> Oh, and I'd want a side plot of the Observants finding out and Clockwork dealing with that with an eventual reunion and Clockwork meeting Danny's human parents.   
> Anyway, it would be a lot but I want to finish Face to Face and a few other multi-chapter stories I want to write first. So IDK when or if this would ever happen.


End file.
